第20章

"Which this yere Bland gets incensed at this, an' puts it up the editor can't eat with him no more.But better counsel smooths it over, an' at last this Bland forgives the editor, an' all is forgot.

The goat, however, never does; an' he stamps his foot an' prowls 'round for a fracas every tine him an' that editor meets.

"All this yere time Colonel Sterett an' this same Red Dog editor maintains them hostilities.The way they lams loose at each other in their papers is a terror.I allers reckons Colonel Sterett gets a heap the best of this yere mane-chewin'; we-all so regards it, an'

so does he, an' he keeps his end up with great sperit an' voylence.

"These yore ink-riots don't go on more'n two months, however, when Colonel Sterett decides that the o'casion calls for somethin' more explicit.As he says, 'Patience ceases to be trumps,' an' so he saddles up a whole lot an' rides over to Red Dog, personal.Colonel Sterett don't impart them plans of his to no one; he simply descends on his foe, sole an' alone, like that game an' chivalrous gent of bell letters which he shorely is; an', son, Colonel Sterett makes a example of that slander-mongerin' Red Dog editor.

"It's about the last drink time in the mornin', an' a passel of them Red Dog sports is convened in front of the Tub of Blood s'loon, when they-all hears a crash an' looks up, an' thar's their editor a-soarin' out of his second-story window.Of course, in a second or so, he hits the ground, an' them Red Dog folks goes over to get the rights of this yere phenomenon.He ain't hurt so but what he gets up an' limps 'round, an' he tells 'em it's the Wolfville editor does it.Next time the Stingin' Lizard comes out, we reads about it:

"The gasconading reptile who is responsible for the slimy life of that prurient sheet, the Coyote, paid us a sneaking visit Saturday.

If he had given us notice of his intentions, we would have prepared ourselves and torn his leprous hide from his dehauched and whiskey-poisoned frame, and polluted our fence with it, but he did not.True to his low, currish nature, he crept upon us unawares.Our back was toward him as he entered, perceiving which the cowardly poltroon seized us and threw us through our own window.Having accomplished his fiendish work, the miscreant left, justly fearing our wrath.The Stinging Lizard's exposure of this scoundrel as a drunkard, embezzler, wife-beater, jail-bird, thief, and general all-round blackleg prompted this outrage.Never mind, the creature will hear from us.

"'Which this newspaper business is shorely gettin' some bilious, not to say hectic, a whole lot,' says Dan Boggs, as we reads this.'Iwonder if these yere folks means fight?'

"'Why,' says Enright, 'I don't know as they'd fight none if we-all lets 'em alone, but I don't see how we can.This sort of racket goes on for years in the East, but Wolfville can't stand it.Sech talk as this means blood in Arizona, an' we insists on them traditions that a-way bein' respected.Besides, we owes somethin' to Colonel Sterett.'

"So Enright an' Cherokee hunts up our editor an' asks him whatever he aims to do, an' tells him he's aroused public sentiments to sech heights thar'll be a pop'lar disapp'intment if he don't challenge the Red Dog editor an' beef him.Colonel Sterett allows he's crazy to do it, an' that the Wolfville public can gamble he'll go the distance.So Cherokee an' Jack Moore puts on their guns an' goes over to Red Dog to fix time an' place.The Red Dog editor says he's with 'em, an' they shakes dice for place, an' Cherokee an' Moore wins.

"'Which as evidence of good faith,' says Cherokee, 'we picks Red Dog.We pulls this thing off on the very scene of the vict'ry of Colonel Sterett when he hurls your editor through his window that time.I holds the same to be a mighty proper scheme.'

"'You-all needn't be timid none to come,' says the Red Dog sports.

'You gets a squar' deal from a straight deck; you can gamble on that.'

"'Oh, we ain't apprehensif none,' says Cherokee an' Jack; 'you can shorely look for us.'